We can't trust energy companies

[Radian]

When we recently moved from our previous supplier to Octopus, I was prepared for a fight over getting back the huge amount of credit we'd stacked up (a consequence of our new Solar PV and cavity wall insulation radically dropping our bills after a cold spell late last year).

 

What I hadn't bargained for was bare faced lying over alleged "actual" smart meter readings. Following an initial account statement that mostly agreed with my figures, I got another balance statement that covered the last few days in April before the handover on the 5th. This attempted to charge us nearly £80 for £15 worth of gas consumed, and a similarly inflated proportion for electric.

 

The proof of this deceit was being able to take a photo of a printed copy of the alleged "Actual read" showing a higher figure than the actual meter reading -- even though this photo was taken a week later, when we got the final bill on the 12th. By then we still hadn't even racked up the amount of usage they were claiming for up to the 4th. Naturally this was to be deducted from our credit before it was refunded to us. Could easily have been overlooked by the customer and gotten away with.

 

[MikeSharp01]

This is obviously a manual intervention as it says 'Actual Read:' rather than 'Smart actual read'. There must be a handover figure that both companies agree so Octapus know what your reading was the minute they took over and SSE closed which should have come from the meter at midnight on the change over day. I wonder if there is some sort of internal, between the two companies, which sorts this out post factum but I doubt it.

[ProDave]

This would really annoy me.  I would be writing to the CEO of your old supplier asking him to explain this final "actual read" when several days later your photographed read is still lower.  I would be making the point to him that this should not happen with smart meters as the supplier should get a reading every half hour from the meter so there should be no room for error.

 

I totally detest the whole energy market we have at the moment, it appears despite regulation this sort if thing happens a lot.  It just reinforces my view to choose a good supplier like Octopus and just stay with them.  Even if I could switch supplier to save a few £ per year I would not consider it worth the risk of this sort of problem.

[Kelvin]

Agreed @ProDave Octopus genuinely seem to be trying to change the market. I wouldn’t switch to anyone else. I hope they force the others to change but I doubt they will change. 

[saveasteading]

1 hour ago, Kelvin said:

Octopus genuinely seem to be trying to change the market. I wouldn’t switch 

I thought the same of OVO. Quick to respond and sort stuff, polite, fair, interest paid on any surplus. Shook up the market too.

 

But they were so good that they were handed the failed companies and are now huge.

 

Not saying they are bad now, but they have slipped down the "Which" ratings.

 

If Octopus are as good as you all say, there will probably be a plan to change that. Cynical me.

[ProDave]

My FIT has been switched from SSE to OVO and they are even slower at paying each quarters FIT than SSE were, and they were slow.

[SteamyTea]

Do they make that 50 quid you get for introducing a friend by misreading the meters?

 

I suspect the Pareto rule applies, 20% of customers have 80% of the problems.

[Radian]

3 hours ago, ProDave said:

I would be making the point to him that this should not happen with smart meters as the supplier should get a reading every half hour from the meter so there should be no room for error.

 

This is what really bugs me. Last year I downloaded the Bright app and by just agreeing to share my data and providing the ID printed on my IHD I can see the half hourly DCC data in the app and through their API. For both my actual energy suppliers (old and new) to be groping around in the dark over this data is frankly ridiculous.

[Gill]

10 minutes ago, Radian said:

 

This is what really bugs me. Last year I downloaded the Bright app and by just agreeing to share my data and providing the ID printed on my IHD I can see the half hourly DCC data in the app and through their API. For both my actual energy suppliers (old and new) to be groping around in the dark over this data is frankly ridiculous.

 

Do you happen to know if the app can group eco7 time period usage? 

The Scottish power app is hopeless for that. I can look at a specific day usage and work that out roughly but no where can I see daily / monthly split of each rate. Basic functionality for eco 7 tarrif users you'd think... 

[Radian]

5 minutes ago, Gill said:

Do you happen to know if the app can group eco7 time period usage? 

 

Sorry, no. My meter is set for single rate and there's no indication in the app that it would be able to group usage but it would cost you nothing to try it. There's absolutely no pressure to engage with the company once you've installed the app. so nothing to lose in trying it.

[S2D2]

It's possible both energy companies got overruled, the process is very convoluted and they are bound by it: https://octopus.energy/blog/secret-life-opening-meter-reading/

 

If your usage has dropped before switching that may have been the reason it's so high. Either way both companies use the same reading so you wouldn't pay twice.

 

The process should be much simpler with smart meters and it shouldn't be described as an "actual read" when it's not, only one of those is in the hands of the energy company though.

[SteamyTea]

6 minutes ago, Gill said:

The Scottish power app is hopeless for that.

Why I like to monitor my own usage locally, and keep it to myself (except what I share on here).

https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/blogs/entry/946-the-energy-meter-experiment/

[TonyT]

4 hours ago, ProDave said:

My FIT has been switched from SSE to OVO and they are even slower at paying each quarters FIT than SSE were, and they were slow.

Mine too, I forgot to submit the reading by 1 day and they no longer accept readings, SSE would accept readings any time!

[ProDave]

1 hour ago, TonyT said:

Mine too, I forgot to submit the reading by 1 day and they no longer accept readings, SSE would accept readings any time!

Yes if you miss the "reading window" by 1 day you won't get anything that quarter.  But you will get it in the next quarter as the reading won't go down again.

 

I wonder what your energy supplier would say if you told them "I will get around to paying your bill some time within the next quarter"?

[TonyT]

Well waiting another 3 months is no hassle, just means the payment will be double bubble so all good, it now goes to paying energy bills anyway( used to go towards maintenance of the house)

 

I’m with Octopus so now getting 21% off the night time rate and I think it was 7% off the day time rate.

really do like dealing with Octopus, th only company that I could give positive feedback!

 

[Gone West]

6 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Not saying they are bad now, but they have slipped down the "Which" ratings.

OVO have certainly slipped down my ratings. Like @ProDave my FiTs were changed from SSE to OVO and they told me my electricity supply would be changed to OVO as well. So last December I tried to change my FiTs from OVO to Good Energy. Good Energy told me they couldn't switch me because my generation meter hadn't been checked recently so I asked OVO to inspect the meter. It wasn't sorted out until last week and I had to email the OVO CEO Complaints Department to get a resolution. I also got an apology, a nice hamper of goodies and a cheque for £50 but I'm still moving my FiTs and my electricity supplier when I can find a decent one.

[ProDave]

27 minutes ago, Gone West said:

OVO have certainly slipped down my ratings. Like @ProDave my FiTs were changed from SSE to OVO and they told me my electricity supply would be changed to OVO as well. So last December I tried to change my FiTs from OVO to Good Energy. Good Energy told me they couldn't switch me because my generation meter hadn't been checked recently so I asked OVO to inspect the meter. It wasn't sorted out until last week and I had to email the OVO CEO Complaints Department to get a resolution. I also got an apology, a nice hamper of goodies and a cheque for £50 but I'm still moving my FiTs and my electricity supplier when I can find a decent one.

Well as others say Octopus are a good supplier, PM me for a code if you want £50 credit when you switch.

 

Octopus are listed as a FIT provider so try them for that as well?

 

I am not switching as the FIT in question is on our old house which I hope we won't own for much longer.

[Kelvin]

My ultimate goal is to be close to off grid. That way I don’t need to deal with these feckers too much. We are for water and foul water. Electricity is harder of course. 

Edited April 22, 2023 by Kelvin

[TonyT]

5 hours ago, Radian said:

Sorry, no. My meter is set for single rate and there's no indication in the app that it would be able to group usage but it would cost you nothing to try it. There's absolutely no pressure to engage with the company once you've installed the app. so nothing to lose in trying it.

 

my meter is single rate too, but you get half hourly data with Octopus Go and they factor in 4 hrs cheap rate

[Radian]

3 hours ago, TonyT said:

my meter is single rate too, but you get half hourly data with Octopus Go and they factor in 4 hrs cheap rate

 

With half-hourly updates, multiple Time-Of-Use metering would seem to be unnecessary as it could be administered remotely - but it does depend on reliable communications and that's not a given. I wonder what they do to mitigate any dropouts? And why do even stone-age SMETS1 meters like mine have elaborate TOU registers if they're not actually used? Didn't we have a forum member join us recently who was in the supply industry...

[Gone West]

15 hours ago, ProDave said:

Well as others say Octopus are a good supplier

Do they insist on having a smart meter.

[ProDave]

28 minutes ago, Gone West said:

Do they insist on having a smart meter.

You can switch to them with an ordinary meter and they can't force you to upgrade change to a smart meter.  Though of course without a smart meter you can only have the standard 1 rate tariff. 

 

Like any other supplier you have to ignore the pestering to fit a smart meter.

[SteamyTea]

14 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Like any other supplier you have to ignore the pestering to fit a smart meter.

Except as resent events has shown, sending a few emails is considered good enough for customer contact, then the forcibly fit a smart meter, then remotely disconnect the customer.

Hopefully that policy has now changed. 

[ProDave]

22 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Except as resent events has shown, sending a few emails is considered good enough for customer contact, then the forcibly fit a smart meter, then remotely disconnect the customer.

Hopefully that policy has now changed. 

It was paused and then re allowed with just a few safeguards.

 

I don't like the idea of anyone having their house forceably  entered and a pre payment meter fitted any more than anyone else.  All you can do is ENSURE you pay your bills on time and don't run up debt, so they have no reason to sniff about looking for an excuse to do anything like that.  Of course not everyone has enough "float" in the bank to ensure all bills are paid on time.